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Take a virtual tour around Bourton's model village

PEOPLE can take a peek around Bourton's iconic model village before visiting in person with a new virtual tour which has just gone live.

Viewers can now navigate their own way around part of the model village with a 360-degree online visit in the latest extension to Street View, Google Maps Business View.

Business view provides a panoramic tour of the inside of a business, which is linked to the street outside and can be explored via a computer or mobile device.

Better Reach visited The Model Village recently to take a series of photographs which have been stitched together, mapped and embedded into Google’s servers to produce the finished tour.

Viewers can take a virtual walk through the entrance to the Model Village, past the small-scale ford, and along the main street which houses the replica of The Old New Inn itself.

Vicki Atherton, co- owner of The Old New Inn and Model Village, said: “The model village is quite unique, and to be able to see it in detail over the internet is perfect.

"We hope that people will want to visit in person and experience the whole of the location as a result.”

The detail and craftsmanship which has gone in to the creation of the buildings can be seen, along with the carefully pruned Bonsai trees which line the street.

By using the zoom function on the tour, it is even possible to make out tiny items such as those on display in the Post Office window while rooftops and other streets which make up more of the village are visible in the background.

Stuart Edmonstone, Better Reach managing director, said this was the first time they had photographed a miniature village for Business View.

"It’s fantastic to be able to use Street View technology for businesses and it’s particularly relevant for showcasing one such as this," he said.